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theguardian.com
Let’s build a better future for female scaffolders | Letter
Emma Claassen responds to an article by Adrian Chiles on the recruitment crisis in scaffoldingAdrian Chiles is right: scaffolding is hard work (Britain’s scaffolding should be a source of national pride – instead we’re struggling to recruit workers, 1 October). It demands physical resilience, skill, judgment and proper training. That will naturally mean it is not a job for everyone – men or women.Which is why the conversation about the skills shortage should be less about who traditionally became a scaffolder, and more about who is willing and able to learn the trade and meet the same standards. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on trapped leaseholders: Labour must keep its promise to set them free | Editorial
The government pledged to end an unfair system. Ministers must give homeowners power over costs, rather than another place to complain“To the millions of leaseholders across the country, you have my word. The days of you being squeezed for every penny are coming to an end,” Andy Burnham told the Labour party conference. Only a few hours earlier, his housing secretary, Angela Rayner, had announced that the government would legislate for a new independent regulator and launch a consultation to cap “rip off” administrative fees. While these are undoubtedly steps in the right direction, they are miles away from Labour’s manifesto promise to “finally bring the feudal leasehold system to an end”.In its modern form, leasehold in England and Wales turns homes into income streams for freeholders. It should be abolished. There are powerful vested interests – billionaires, aristocrats and big businesses – that would oppose this move. But the system of service charges is crippling the housing market because its exorbitant cost puts off prospective buyers. The average annual service charge for a flat in England and Wales is now £2,405, up 32.6% since 2020 and 55.6% over a decade. Owners of flats in high-rise blocks in London are paying service charges of more than £7,000 a year. Little wonder that first-time buyers are increasingly bypassing flats. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Nigel Farage questioned by standards commissioner over £5m gift
Reform UK leader was interviewed for half an hour last month over money from crypto billionaireNigel Farage has been interviewed by the standards commissioner for an investigation into whether he should have declared a £5m gift from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.The Reform UK leader spent about half an hour being questioned over the money, the Sunday Times reported. Farage maintains the gift was for his personal security. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Retailers are making returns harder. A carpet seller taught me why that’s a mistake | Gene Marks
A standard business practice offsets future costs by funding a reserve for returns – but many small businesses don’t do itIn my 30-plus years of being an accountant I have learned many business lessons from people who were much smarter than me. Jerry Crawford was one of those people. Jerry taught me about product returns.Jerry – who sadly passed away a decade ago – sold carpets wholesale from a nondescript little building in south Jersey. He employed about 50 people and counted many local and national carpet retailers as his customers. When I reviewed Jerry’s books, I noticed a large reserve for “returns”. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Are my gen X peers the influencers the world has been waiting for? | Emma Beddington
Their careers are peaking, they’re rich in money and time – and young people think they’re cool. But maybe it’s not as simple as that‘Stop sleeping on gen X.” I heard this on TikTok recently. I misinterpreted it, with a guilty start, as: “Stop sleeping, gen X,” because I am 51 (peak X), so always tired; while not sleeping at the time, I may have been resting my eyes. In fact, Joel Marlinarson, a marketing guru, was suggesting my generation have become a powerful, if underrated, force online.Aged between 46 and 61, gen Xers with proper jobs are peaking, career-wise (although it’s a different story for those out of work, as a report last month on the struggles of over-50s jobseekers made plain). We’re more likely to own homes than the following generations; we’re emerging from the trenches of childrearing and, the argument goes, ready to indulge in some me-time. “If gen X were a country, it would be the world’s second-largest consumer market,” the World Economic Forum reported last year, with gen X women in particular influencing 70% to 80% of all consumer spending. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
The AI industry is booming. Women are getting left behind
Women hold just a fraction of new AI jobs but are overrepresented in roles with high risk of AI disruptionThere’s a common fear among people who work in Silicon Valley: snag one of the fast-growing, high-paying jobs in artificial intelligence, or get trapped in the “permanent underclass”, a phrase describing the fate of those who won’t have upward mobility in the age of AI.The phrase usually describes a future in which AI automates human jobs. But for women in tech, it’s starting to look like the present. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Sports betting is increasingly the norm for Gen Z. Here’s why some financial and mental health experts are worried
Surveys show Gen Z increasingly views sports bets as a form of investment, and those who gamble too often face mental health risks.
cnbc.com
Trump taps Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as AI czar
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton will lead the administration's AI policy.
cnbc.com
More tankers struck in the Middle East as Iran reiterates conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz
Tehran's conditions include a halt to U.S. "acts of aggression," an end to the naval blockade and economic warfare, and the release of Iranian assets.
theguardian.com
The demands of Welsh devolution are simple: just give us what Scotland has | Will Hayward
Andy Burnham is a Westminster leader whom Welsh nationalists could finally work with - but only if he stands up to the devo-sceptics in UK LabourAs I sat in the first Plaid Cymru conference since the party won the Welsh election and started leading the Welsh government, I heard things I had never heard before. I have been to a lot of Plaid conferences and not once have I heard people being really positive about a UK Labour leader. But there was no mistaking it: the Welsh nationalist party feels that Andy Burnham is a man it can work with.When I interviewed Welsh first minister Rhun ap Iorwerth, he indicated he was hopeful – in a way he never was under Keir Starmer – that there was a prime minister who had a genuine desire to give Wales meaningful concessions when it comes to additional powers. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
A cargo ship, 20 crew, and a huge stash of cocaine: the seafarer imprisoned for smuggling – on no evidence
After Turkish police found drugs on board the Phoenician M, the ship’s chief mate, Ali Albokhari, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. His wife is still fighting to free himIn the early hours of 6 October 2023, Elena Albokhari was woken by a text message from her husband. Ali Albokhari, 42, a Finnish-Syrian with dark hair and cherubic features, was chief mate on a cargo ship named the Phoenician M and had been at sea since June. The 180-metre bulk carrier had docked at Ereğli in the Turkish Black Sea a few days earlier and Ali was due to return home to Helsinki soon, but instead of feeling excitement, Elena was growing increasingly worried about his welfare.She’d had a similar feeling of unease a month earlier, when the ship had arrived at Barranquilla, Colombia. Ali had called in a panic to report that drugs had been found; Armada Nacional officers had marched onboard and uncovered holdalls stuffed with 137kg cocaine. Labels on the packages – the crest of Turkish football club Kayserispor – hinted at their destination: Turkey was the next port of call. “I never want to work as a seaman again,” Ali told Elena. “We are having big problems.” Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Burnham’s plans for social care and its workers are admirable but changes must come quickly | Heather Stewart
Money is needed now for a system that has left families including mine struggling their way unsupported and forgotten As one of many hundreds of thousands of people in the UK with a parent with Alzheimer’s, the passage in Andy Burnham’s speech about social care moved me to tears.My mother had not even been diagnosed when I watched Theresa May announce her 2017 general election manifesto in a hall in Halifax – with care funding at its heart. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘The violence is off the scale’: staff and passengers at risk as assaults on trains in Great Britain soar to record high
Cases of abuse, spitting, head-butting and sexual harassment, have spiked as transport police numbers have dwindledWhen a train was halted outside Exeter St Davids station on Monday, rail staff leapt to one conclusion: there had been a violent incident on board.“Someone will have kicked off,” one staff member said. “It happens all the time. My boss got head-butted recently.” Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Costa’s coffee shops return to profit with iced drinks and matcha on the menu
Costa Ltd reports operating profit of £20m in year to 31 December 2025 after losses of £13.5m in 2024Costa’s main coffee shop arm has returned to an operating profit after revamping its high street outlets and broadening its menu with iced drinks, matcha and fresher pastries.The chain, which has 2,700 outlets in the UK and Ireland out of 4,000 globally, and employs about 20,000 people, also opened a net 50 new outlets in the UK last year – its first net increase in several years. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Thousands of Glasgow council workers face pay cuts in one of UK’s biggest fire-and-rehire plans
Unison union refuses to ballot members on offer that would make 11% of council employees worse offUK politics live – latest updatesThousands of Glasgow council workers face being sacked and reappointed under less favourable terms in one of the UK’s biggest ever “fire-and-rehire” exercises, after union negotiations broke down once again this week.About 23,000 workers – all of the council’s non-teaching staff – first heard they were affected last week when talks between the SNP-led council and the GMB, Unison and Unite unions fell apart. Those negotiations concerned a new pay and grading system designed to resolve historical pay equality issues. Unison refused to ballot its members on an offer that would mean pay cuts for 11% of council employees, prompting the council to begin issuing fire-and-rehire letters. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Own a mobile phone? Then you’re paying the ‘app tax’. It’s a racket and it’s time the UK faced Apple and Google down | Chi Onwurah
A deep-seated duopoly allows the tech giants to exploit the public and developers. But the regulator has powers to stop this abuse – it should use themChi Onwurah is the Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West and chair of the parliamentary science, innovation and technology committeeDebates around big tech and digital regulation can sometimes feel distant from the everyday concerns of voters. But the power that a small number of global tech companies hold over our lives goes far beyond what most people realise.As chair of the parliamentary science, innovation and technology committee, I have spent years raising concerns about this: from the data they harvest and the digital “twins” they build of us, to the algorithms that decide what our children see. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Lack of inspections at fish slaughterhouses a ‘disgrace’, says Animal Equality UK
Charity calls for faster progress on humane slaughter laws for farmed fish in England and WalesUp to 77m fish are slaughtered each year in the UK but there are no routine or mandatory inspections of fish slaughterhouses in England and Wales, it can be revealed.Concerns within government about the way fish are slaughtered date back decades but all of the official bodies responsible for animal welfare and food standards in England and Wales said they do not undertake regular inspections. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
OpenAI safety leader quits, warning AI company’s culture is ‘broken’
David Robinson joins other insiders in urging industry to take more care over rapidly developing technologyA safety leader at OpenAI has quit the company, warning that its culture was broken and that AI firms were not “being nearly careful enough” about developing the technology.David Robinson, who led the writing of safety reports that accompanied the ChatGPT developer’s product releases, explained his resignation in an essay headlined: “I quit OpenAI because its culture is broken.” Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘They call every week’: the phishing attacks targeting past victims
Scammers reuse personal details harvested from fake Esta websites – and texts and calls can keep arriving for monthsWhen the British actor Lisa Riley was preparing to travel to the US last year, she applied online for an Esta so she would not need a visa. After finding the site through a Google search she filled in her passport, bank and personal details and waited for the confirmation, which normally takes just under an hour.When it failed to arrive, she emailed an address from the site where she had paid and got back a message unlike any she had seen before, with a link to a website that displayed a jumble of words and letters. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Ministers explore how to stop regional leaders misusing planned new spending powers
Labour wants to make sure mayors and council chiefs in England can be held to account for extra revenues devolved to themMinisters are mulling over how to ensure that England’s regional leaders do not misuse their newfound spending muscle, as Whitehall prepares to devolve more revenue to local levels.Ideas under consideration include a new select committee in Westminster, enhanced reporting rules and a new audit body focused on local and regional government. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Singapore debuts a state-backed dating app for young government workers as it works to slow a demographic crisis
Singapore's government is playing matchmaker for young public officials against a backdrop of ultra-low fertility.
theguardian.com
UK car industry faces ‘difficult trade-off’ between Chinese and EU markets
Britain under pressure to put tariffs on cheap Chinese vehicle imports ahead of protectionist trade measuresBritain’s car industry is grappling with a “difficult trade-off” between China and Europe, as manufacturers struggle to balance the benefits of both markets ahead of looming trade measures that could restrict UK exports to the EU.The UK is an outlier in choosing not to put import taxes on Chinese vehicles, even as the US has shut them out almost entirely, and the EU imposes duties of up to 45%. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Ukraine’s surprise robot offensive exposes a vulnerability in Putin’s war machine
Experts say the offensive is not a decisive breakthrough, but demonstrates how Ukraine’s expanding use of robotic systems is reshaping frontline warfare.
theguardian.com
‘We are in a kind of war’: row over viral Amsterdam chip shop lands in court
Neighbours say crowds drawn by TikTok to Fabel Friet are clogging the picturesque canal street and attracting litter, gulls and ratsPeople living in one of Amsterdam’s most exclusive neighbourhoods have taken the city to court for licensing a chip shop that has gone viral on TikTok.On busy days, the queue for Fabel Friet on Runstraat stretches across a bridge on the Keizersgracht – one of Amsterdam’s most famous canals – a court was told last week. The narrow street itself is crowded by tourists waiting for their orders seven days a week. And loitering with intent – on parked cars, on the street itself, and on steps and porches – gulls wait to swoop. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Burnham must remember: more regulation is not the best way to improve public services | Phillip Inman
In the NHS as in the private sector, the measure of success should be customer satisfaction and not just box-tickingAndy Burnham said he wanted to “rewire” the economy. Then he seemed to slam on the brakes, kicking most reforms into the 2030s.Local government reorganisation is on hold, along with an overhaul of the much-maligned water industry. Social care and significant welfare reform are matters to be resolved by the next government. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Lula or Bolsonaro: Wall Street braces for two wildly different results in Brazil election
With the first round of Brazil's presidential election taking place Sunday, Wall Street is gearing up with starkly different market predictions.
cnbc.com
America’s data center fight is a preview of what's to come for the rest of the world
America’s fight over data centers is going global. Communities across Europe and Asia are pushing back over the rising costs of the AI infrastructure boom.
cnbc.com
FlyDubai plane attack by co-pilot was an attempted 'terrorist' act, UAE says
The FlyDubai co-pilot attacked the pilot inside the cockpit with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft, the UAE prosecutor general said.
theguardian.com
Nitrite-free bacon sales boom in UK amid fears over curing chemicals
Shoppers are switching from traditional product despite little evidence alternative is saferBacon has long been a favourite of carnivores, but there is growing consumer concern about the health risks posed by nitrites, chemicals used to cure meats.While many experts argue there is no evidence processed meat made without nitrites is safer, retailers have responded to consumer concerns by offering “nitrite-free” products to meet demand. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
UAE may halt UK investments after Manchester City guilty verdict
Premier League’s actions would ‘have an influence on the bilateral state relationship’, Emirati officials saidThe United Arab Emirates has reportedly warned the government it could cancel big investments in the UK after Manchester City were found guilty by an independent commission.Emirati officials said “the Premier League’s actions” would “have an influence on the bilateral state relationship”, according to Bloomberg. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Private capital is reshaping Hollywood moviemaking
As Hollywood's financing structures diversify, private capital is increasingly funding the big screen and changing the types of movies that are being made.
theguardian.com
‘I was making no money’: Travel agent side hustle promoted by influencers criticised over fees
Would-be marketers enticed by online talk of entering a world of travel and easy cash find that the reality is rather differentMonths before she entered the Love Island villa, the content creator Yasmin Hadlow promised viewers of her online videos that they could “catch flights and get paid mid-air”. All they had to do, she said, was send her a direct message with the word “freedom”.The 23-year-old is among several influencers and celebrities, including the former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison, working for PlanNet Marketing, which recruits people to work as independent travel agents with a separate US business, InteleTravel. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
David Ellison just brought in a co-CEO to run his new empire: Meet Ynon Kreiz
Ynon Kreiz's appointment as co-CEO of Skydance answers a key governance question for Ellison's soon-to-be-merged company.
theguardian.com
They embraced the Fiat 500, the Vespa, even tuk-tuks. But will Romans draw the line at the golf cart?
Authorities crack down on trade they says risks spiralling out of control – but operators say they are being targeted unfairlyOn the edge of Piazza Navona, one of the grandest squares in central Rome, Barry and Linda, visitors from Texas in the US, stepped out of a golf cart. They planned to cross the square on foot, perhaps stopping to admire Lorenzo Bernini’s 17th-century Fountain of the Four Rivers, before being picked up by their driver at the opposite end.The couple had already done a walking tour on day one of their trip, and had been so exasperated by a stifling three-hour shuffle along a corridor towards the Sistine Chapel on day two that by the third day they wanted to give their tired feet a rest. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Bailiffs and 100 unpaid teachers: inside the collapse of ‘groundbreaking’ yoga studio Triyoga
Formerly a favourite of the A-list, the chain has abruptly ceased trading, leaving teachers and customers blindsidedKate Comer is a single mother with two children, so she is used to living on a financial knife-edge. But when the yoga studio at which she taught closed without warning in September, leaving her with two months’ worth of unpaid wages, it sent her anxiety skyrocketing.“I’m just reeling right now,” she said, estimating her loss at about £1,500. “I’m very concerned about the future.” Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Suppliers pile pressure on government over energy bills
Immediate action is needed to help households struggling with bills this winter, says trade body Energy UK.
theguardian.com
UK urged to act as Polymarket takes bets on whether HSBC and Lloyds will fail
Revelation comes amid mounting concern over online prediction market’s effects on integrity of financial systemUK authorities are being urged to intervene after it emerged that the online prediction market Polymarket has been taking thousands of dollars worth of bets over whether HSBC and Lloyds will fail.Polymarket – the US-owned company which holds bets on anything from football matches, to the existence of aliens, to when a bomb drops on a city – has allowed users to take $77,507 (£58,530) worth of positions on whether the world’s biggest banks will go under by the end of this year. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
From the Bayeux tapestry to Glastonbury: top tips and tricks to grab the hottest tickets
Nothing is guaranteed but there are ways to boost your chances of experiencing such in-demand eventsWhether your passion is the battle of the bands or the Battle of Hastings, what are probably Britain’s hottest cultural tickets are about to go on sale – and to be in with a shout of going, there are insider tips that will get you a good spot in the queue.General admission tickets to the Glastonbury festival next June go on sale online at 9am on Sunday, while the next tranche of tickets to view the Bayeux tapestry at the British Museum will be released to members on Tuesday 6 October before a public on-sale on 21 October. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
BT accused of ‘bullying’ customers by pausing broadband in digital landline push
Companies race to switch households to ‘voice over internet protocol’ services by the end of JanuaryBT has been accused of “bullying” customers by temporarily cutting off their broadband to pressure them to upgrade to a digital landline, as providers race to switch households over before the January deadline.Telecoms companies have so far migrated 16-17m lines from the old copper network to digital voice over internet protocol (VoiP), which uses a broadband connection instead, in the biggest technological upgrade since the early 00s, when analogue TV was switched off. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
New baby bank 'open to everybody'
The facility offers essential items for free, including clothes for babies and small children.
theguardian.com
‘It’s shocking really’: Devon community tracks River Dart sewage spills
Citizen environmentalists create online platform that flags spills in real time and highlights repeatedly polluted spots The easy thing for the people who live on the banks of the River Dart in Devon might have been to grumble and groan about the sewage spills that blight their beloved waterway.Instead, citizen environmentalists in the area have created a unique online platform that flags up spills in real time, highlights spots that are repeatedly polluted, and sets out where improvement work is planned – and where it isn’t. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘People are deserting it’: why are London mansions struggling to sell?
For decades, the capital’s house prices raced ahead of the national average – but now they are falling in prime areasAn elegant Georgian facade, a full-width balcony and an exclusive address in South Kensington just steps from the Natural History Museum and the V&A. Yet the listing price of this west London flat at Queen’s Gate Gardens has dropped by nearly £1m since last year, to £4.4m.It is far from an isolated case. A nearby house originally listed at £20m was slashed to £14m this year, says a local estate agent. In neighbouring Notting Hill, a stucco-fronted property that came to market two years ago at £16m is now being offered for less than £14m, they said. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Top McKinsey executive reveals Asian owner-CEOs' secrets to success
Gautam Kumra, Asia chairman at consultancy McKinsey & Co., researched the qualities of Asia's best owner-CEOs.
bbc.co.uk
Rising energy costs add to cost of living for Northern Ireland's consumers
Households across Northern Ireland face increasing pressure on the cost of living as energy price hikes have come into effect.
bbc.co.uk
G7 to release millions of barrels of oil and diesel after Trump threat
The co-ordinated release is aimed at heading off further price spikes and avoiding a ban on US diesel exports.
cnbc.com
DOJ says it will not reopen criminal probe into former Fed Chair Powell
The confirmation comes after the Fed's inspector general report that said there were no grounds for a criminal referral over the mismanaged headquarters renovation.
cnbc.com
Oil prices lower as G7 nations to release diesel stocks, Saudis reportedly plan attack on Houthis
The G7 will deploy 100 million barrels of reserves over the next four months, the group's leaders said in a joint statement.
cnbc.com
10-year Treasury yield ticks higher despite weaker-than-expected jobs report
U.S. Treasury yields rose despite a September jobs report came in much weaker than expected.
cnbc.com
G7 nations to release diesel stocks as wars in Europe and Middle East constrain fuel supplies
EU countries are set for crisis talks on soaring diesel prices, with officials warning a U.S. export ban could hurt Europe’s economic outlook.
cnbc.com
FAA says Boeing 737 Max software glitch not a flight-safety issue
The FAA on Monday said it was reviewing the software glitch, which could affect procedures during certain landings.
cnbc.com
How AI is redefining Wall Street jobs — and boosting demand for this new 'hottest skill' by 1,721%
Banks are fueling a hiring surge for AI engineers who are good at "agent orchestration" — the ability to coordinate teams of specialized agents.
cnbc.com
David Ellison says combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery will be named Skydance
It's a full-circle moment for a company that has undergone two major acquisitions within the last 18 months.
cnbc.com
Why Lilly and Novo are betting on amylin to power a new wave of obesity drugs after GLP-1s
Eli Lilly and Novo are developing new amylin drugs that serve as another biological lever to pull in treating obesity and diabetes.
cnbc.com
Men are losing ground in the labor market. Here's why
Women outnumbered men in the workforce for eight straight months as of September, according to one analysis.
cnbc.com
Ford fends off Hyundai to retain No. 3 U.S. sales position in third quarter
Ford on Friday reported a year-over-year sales decline of 6.6% during the third quarter to 507,395 light-duty vehicles.
cnbc.com
Tesla stock jumps 5% on better-than-expected vehicle deliveries report
Tesla's core autos business is under pressure as Chinese and European carmakers roll out affordable and innovative EVs.
bbc.co.uk
Watch: Why has UK diesel price hit an all time high?
Diesel has now hit an average of £2 a litre in the UK, the RAC motoring group says, with petrol prices also rising.
cnbc.com
American starts letting customers mix cash and miles for tickets
American is joining other carriers that allow customers to book with a combination of points and miles.
theguardian.com
People in the UK: how is the cost of diesel affecting you?
Are you making cutbacks in light of the price increases?The average price of diesel in the UK climbed to a record £2 a litre on 2 October.The price of a litre at UK forecourts has risen 40.5% since late February, when the US-Israel war on Iran began disrupting supplies of crude and refined oil products from the Gulf, leading to cost increases across the economy. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Why do I have to pay more for buses if I don’t use a smartphone? | Letter
Owen Fraser responds to an article by Anna Tims on the price schoolchildren without smartphones pay on busesI applaud Anna Tims for her article (Schoolchildren without smartphones penalised with higher bus fares, 26 September), raising the need for a unified approach on this issue to properly tackle the ill effects of such technology on children in the classroom and beyond.I live in Scotland, where this issue is addressed by making bus travel free for children and young people under the age of 22 with a physical national entitlement card. I am, however, affected by the more general problem of cheaper bus pass options being hidden behind smartphone apps. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
UK diesel prices top £2 a litre for first time, RAC says
The rise in global oil prices has been pushing up the pump prices of petrol and diesel in the UK.
bbc.co.uk
US jobs market sees sharp slowdown ahead of midterm elections
Unemployment rose slightly as American employers paused hiring with midterm elections just a month away.
theguardian.com
John Maynard Keynes: the cultured economist who governments turn to in a crisis
A new play about the art-loving Bloomsbury Group member speaks of the enduring battle of ideas with his free-market rival Friedrich HayekThe sound of guns from the advancing German armies could be heard clearly by John Maynard Keynes as his train trundled across northern France in the spring of 1918. The evidence of the struggle on the western front was everywhere but Keynes, then a Treasury official, was not heading to Paris on war business; he was off to buy some art.Keynes made the risky trip to attend an auction of the studio of Edgar Degas, who had died the previous year. The man who would become the foremost economist of the 20th century returned to London with some impressionist treasures for the National Gallery, having successfully petitioned the chancellor of the exchequer to spend £20,000 at the sale. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Labor market faltered in September as jobs increased by just 29,000, unemployment rate rose to 4.2%
Nonfarm payrolls rose by just 29,000 in September, well below the 84,000 forecast, and the unemployment rate rose to 4.2%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said.
theguardian.com
UK diesel price hits record high of £2 a litre
France proposes that EU nations and IEA release oil and diesel from reserves as Iran war drives up cost worldwide‘Half my day’s pay goes to filling up my car’Business live – latest updatesBritish motorists face more pressure at the pumps after the average price of diesel climbed to a record £2 a litre.The price of a litre at UK forecourts has risen 40.5% since late February, when the US-Israel war on Iran began disrupting supplies of crude and refined oil products from the Gulf, leading to cost increases across the economy. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Why UK diesel prices have breached the £2 per litre mark
The average price of a litre of diesel at the pump stands at an all-time high of 200.01p, according to the RAC motoring body.
cnbc.com
Traders now see little chance of a Fed rate hike in October after weak jobs report
Odds tumbled after a jobs report showed a soft labor market, leading more traders to lower the the chances of a fed funds rate increase this month.
theguardian.com
‘You could have an amazing time for £30,000’: UK castles cash in on Traitors-style events
From stag and hen dos to luxury weekends, fans are spending big to create their own version of the hit showOn Thursday night, the singer-songwriter James Blunt, Love Island host Maya Jama and mathematician Hannah Fry were among the 21 Celebrity Traitors returning to UK screens for another round of deceit and detective work. Famously, contestants do not stay at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands during filming, and the venue is not a hotel, so fans cannot book their own overnight stays without hiring the entire Ross-shire estate. But that has not stopped people from trying to recreate their own versions.The show’s surging popularity has been accompanied by a bonanza in Traitors-style events across the UK. From stag and hen dos to castle conspiracy weekends, event companies now host year-round imitations for fans looking to recreate the drama of the candle-lit roundtable. The show is also proving to be a boom for the owners of Britain’s crumbling castles – with wealthy fans even hiring them out for their own private events. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
A violent classroom revolt is becoming France's next big crisis
Hundreds of French high schools closed Friday after nationwide student protests over school conditions escalated into violence.
cnbc.com
Trump wants South Korea in on Alaska LNG. Here’s why Seoul is cautious
South Korea remains cautious on Alaska LNG amid concerns over its high costs and commercial risks.
bbc.co.uk
No more cereal at the end of the aisle? New rules in Scotland's supermarkets
Restrictions are being put on products with high sugar, fat and salt content, but the meal deal lives on.
cnbc.com
Brazil votes in high-stakes election as U.S.-China rivalry and debt loom large
Brazil will hold a knife-edge vote as its presidential race kicks off — but the election's outcome is likely to be felt far beyond the country's borders.
bbc.co.uk
US pressures Europe to release diesel reserves as Trump threatens export ban
President Donald Trump has threatened to ban diesel exports in a bid to ease prices in the US ahead of the November elections.
bbc.co.uk
Why are minimum alcohol prices going up?
The minimum price of alcohol (MUP) in Wales has risen by 30%.
bbc.co.uk
OpenAI fires workers for 'mishandling sensitive information'
The former employees were investigated for sharing data with an outside AI evaluation group.
cnbc.com
War, $100 oil and a bond sell-off reshaped markets in the third quarter
The third quarter was notably volatile, particularly for stocks and bonds.
cnbc.com
A Brexit reversal is on the table 10 years on from the vote that changed Britain. Here’s what’s at stake
Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016.
bbc.co.uk
Crypto thieves attack man in home and threaten to kill pregnant wife's baby in 'horrific' robbery
The man was beaten with hammers until he transferred hundreds of thousands of pounds of cryptocurrency.
bbc.co.uk
What's gone wrong at Nike? How the world's sportswear giant lost its mojo
Several self-inflicted mistakes have cost the biggest sportswear brand on the planet in recent years.
bbc.co.uk
'It could cost me £10k but I need the money now': Why Gen Z are opting out of pensions
A growing number of people are opting out of these schemes due to cost-of-living pressures.
bbc.co.uk
The wealthy Cuban Americans ready and waiting for Havana to fall
Cuban exiles in Florida are increasingly hopeful that regime change in Cuba is now on the horizon.
bbc.co.uk
Business Daily
Protests about 87-year-old Mariacarmen Abascal's eviction reignited the housing debate
bbc.co.uk
PM warned Rosebank oil field could breach West Bank sanctions
Campaigners and Green Party leader Zack Polanski raise concerns about Rosebank's ties to an Israeli firm.
bbc.co.uk
HMRC urged to scrutinise tax implications of Man City case
The Treasury Committee, which is responsible for overseeing HMRC, has urged the body to scrutinise tax implications of the Manchester City verdict.
bbc.co.uk
Thames Water apologises after £145,000 customer billing mistake
The firm has apologised to the family.
bbc.co.uk
Travelodge failed sex assault victim 'at every stage'
Room intrusions were still being reported at one-in-10 Travelodge hotels this summer, a review finds.
bbc.co.uk
Is it time to ditch premium bonds?
Martin Lewis says though they are the UK's most popular form of savings, not everybody benefits from them. Martin explains who premium bonds are best for, and who they aren’t so good for.
bbc.co.uk
Trump's AI rebrand causes 'unprecedented' demand for Slovenian website names
The president wants AI to be called super intelligence - or SI - the same initials used by Slovenian domains.
bbc.co.uk
AI boom could trigger market shocks, Bank of England boss warns
Andrew Bailey says the central bank is watching the waves of cash being invested in artificial intelligence "very carefully".
bbc.co.uk
Energy bills are rising by £60 a year - here's how you can bring that down
Household energy bills have risen again but there are ways to keep a lid on your expenditure.
bbc.co.uk
Employers should teach primary-age children about work, says Milburn
The author of a major report into youth activity in the UK says children as young as four should be learning about careers.
theguardian.com
Billionaire Sheiks and ‘sham’ contracts: the Manchester City scandal – podcast
Jonathan Liew explains the accusations against Manchester City – and Simon Hattenstone explains how it feels to be a fan Simon Hattenstone, a features writer for the Guardian, has been a Manchester City fan for more than 50 years. He was very young – and recovering from a childhood illness that had nearly killed him – when he started going to matches in his home town with his dad.For a long time, it was a relationship built on occasional highs and many, many lows. But then something extraordinary happened: Manchester City’s fortune began to turn and it had a glittering decade – until it all came crashing down. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
The AI telling farmers when to harvest
Will farmers want AI tools to help judge when to pick fruit, or is their own intuition enough?
bbc.co.uk
Vape tax comes into effect - but prices won't rise yet
Vaping is about to becoming more expensive due to a new tax on products.
bbc.co.uk
Greggs to shut four factories and cut 740 jobs
The company says it needs to "keep evolving alongside changing customer expectations".
bbc.co.uk
Household energy bills forecast to see biggest rise in four years
A typical household faces an annual gas and electricity bill of £1,999 from January, based on a key forecast.
bbc.co.uk
Regulating AI 'not the right place to start' says Bailey
AI needs "rigorous" testing and safeguards to contain risk, Andrew Bailey says.
bbc.co.uk
Doubters spur me on: why more women are taking up DIY
Female DIY experts and tradeswomen talk about their experiences of a traditionally male-dominated domain.
bbc.co.uk
Three takeaways from Trump's 'Super Intelligence' summit
The meeting at the White House came as some tech bosses and experts have called for tighter rules around AI.
theguardian.com
Andy Burnham’s big bold leap - podcast
Helen Pidd reports from the Labour conference in Liverpool as Andy Burnham lays out his grand plans as prime minister. With deputy political editor Jessica Elgot Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
The start-ups hoping to return battery making to the US
Batteries based on sodium-ion technology could be made in the US with locally sourced materials.
bbc.co.uk
Huel ad banned for suggesting its products could replace all meals
The advertising watchdog said that viewers could assume from the ad that replacing all normal food with Huel was "nutritionally appropriate".
theguardian.com
Burnham’s triple lock gamble | Politics Weekly
Andy Burnham has delivered a powerful and emotional speech to the Labour conference. He announced policies on the pensions triple lock, social care and electoral reform. He said he was willing to talk about the things politicians usually avoid. But without a big budget can he deliver his big dreams for the country? Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Diesel export ban: will Trump push global energy prices even higher? - The Latest
As the fallout from the Iran conflict continues, the price of diesel has soared to record highs in the UK, Europe and US. With his country facing an increase of 70% in costs compared with this time last year, Donald Trump is threatening a ban on US diesel exports to keep costs low for American consumers. But the plans have been met with alarm – the UK is holding talks with US counterparts to try to block the move, which France says would be ‘catastrophic’ if introduced. Lucy Hough speaks to energy correspondent Jillian Ambrose – watch on YouTube Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
My hometown shows that high streets have to change or die
Aberdeen is launching an ambitious bid to revive its struggling centre. Could it offer lessons for other high streets?
bbc.co.uk
Europe's car makers are in crisis. Will the threat of war rescue them?
Auto executives across Europe hope rearmament can help them flex their industrial muscles once more.
bbc.co.uk
X-planes: Are they needed in the new era of drones?
Where do America's X-plane projects fit in an era of cheap drones?
bbc.co.uk
How the oil capital of the US welcomed a solar power boom
Texas is now the country's biggest producer of solar-farmed electricity.
bbc.co.uk
Spain battles climate change on several fronts
A summer of wildfires and heatwaves underlines the threats to the country's economy.
bbc.co.uk
The virtual worlds where robots are trained
Training systems that allow robots to negotiate the real world are getting more sophisticated.
bbc.co.uk
Would you buy branded clothing from your favourite tech firm?
Nvidia, OpenAI and Anthropic are all now selling their own limited edition fashion lines.
bbc.co.uk
The extreme engineering of aircraft windows
Few companies have the technology to make aircraft windows which are getting harder to make.
bbc.co.uk
Can Europe recharge its battery industry?
Europe has some promising battery tech, but can it make up ground lost to Chinese battery giants?
bbc.co.uk
I asked my husband to pay into my pension when we had a child - here's why
Molly and Taylor Haylett explain the changes to how they managed their finances when they started a family.
bbc.co.uk
Why some experts increasingly fear AI will take over
AI agents went on an uncontrolled hacking spree, leaving some in the industry worried
bbc.co.uk
Should promotion depend on how workers use AI?
More companies are tying career progression to AI use: is that fair?
bbc.co.uk
'Tirana teeth': Albania hopes to be the new Turkey for dental work
The Balkan nation is aiming to become a new centre for medical tourism.
bbc.co.uk
Aviation faces hotter, stormier skies – and passengers might have to accept more disruption
Are people going to have to increasingly accept more delays and diversions as the effects of climate change intensify?
bbc.co.uk
From 'dog fruit' to darling: India's avocado boom
Demand for avocados is booming in India and local growers hope to grab more of the market.
bbc.co.uk
Why the UK is dithering over what to do about e-scooters
Why is it taking so long for the government to regulate them, and what are the consequences of delay?
bbc.co.uk
Why Gen Z are planning for life without a state pension
Many younger people do not believe the state pension will exist when they are older
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